The Plaza Murillo is the central

plaza A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

of the city of

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...

and the open space most connected to the political life of Bolivia. Prominent buildings on the plaza include the Presidential Palace,

National Congress of Bolivia The Plurinational Legislative Assembly ( es, Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional) is the national legislature of Bolivia, placed in La Paz, the country's seat of government. The assembly is bicameral, consisting of a lower house (the Chamber ...

, and the Cathedral of La Paz (or more formally, the

Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, La Paz The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace ( es, Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de La Paz), also called La Paz Cathedral, is a cathedral and minor basilica is located in Murillo Square in the city of La Paz in Bolivia. It was built in 18 ...

). It is located in the old town, or ''Casco Viejo'', of the city and is surrounded by Socabaya Street to the west, Ayacucho Street to the east, Comercio Street to the south, and a continuation of Ingavi and Ballivan Streets to the north.

Names

The Plaza was originally named the Plaza Mayor (''Greatest/Main Plaza'') after its construction. It was later known during the colonial period as the Plaza de Armas. Following independence, it was renamed the July 16 Plaza (Plaza 16 de Julio) on February 3, 1902, in honor of

Pedro Murillo Pedro Domingo Murillo (September 17, 1757– January 29, 1810) was a patriot of Upper Peru who played a key role in Bolivia's independence. Biography On 17 September 1757, Pedro Domingo Murillo was born in the city of La Paz. His father, Juan ...

, captured and hung by Spanish troops in January 1810.

History

The plaza was designed in 1558 as part of the rectilinear grid of La Paz by Juan Gutiérrez Paniagua, who was appointed by

Corregidor Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically b ...

Ignacio de Aranda, to order the city on the north bank of the Choqueyapu River. This region of the city was opposite the existing Spanish settlement, which had numbered about 200 Spaniards with some 5,000 tributary indigenous residents. The Plaza Mayor quickly supplanted the previous central square of the Spaniards, which is now called Plaza Alonso de Mendoza. Colonial buildings that were built surrounding the plaza include the Cabildo (or city government building, including a jail), a building of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

, the Cathedral, the Royal Treasury (''Cajas Reales''), and the Bishop's Residence (''Casa Obispal''). The plaza has been a key site for battles for political power in Bolivia. It was fought over or defended in numerous revolutionary conflicts, including in 1809, 1811, 1814, 1862, 1865, 1871, 1898, 1946, 1952, and 2002. Independence era leaders Pedro Domingo Murillo, Juan Antonio Figueroa, Basilio Catacora, Buenaventura Bueno, Melchor Jiménez, Mariano Graneros, Apolinar Jaén, Gregorio García Lanza, Juan Bautista Sagárnaga, Juan Cordero and Simona Manzaneda were all killed on or near the plaza. In the 1946 uprising against

Gualberto Villarroel Gualberto Villarroel López (15 December 1908 – 21 July 1946) was a Bolivian military officer who served as the 39th president of Bolivia from 1943 to 1946. A reformist, sometimes compared with Argentina's Juan Perón, he is nonetheless ...

, he was hung from a lamppost in the plaza.

References

{{coord, 16.495761, S, 68.133572, W, dim:420_region:BO-L_type:landmark_source:dewiki, display=title Plazas in Bolivia La Paz Buildings and structures in La Paz Department (Bolivia) Tourist attractions in La Paz Department (Bolivia)